1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for attaching an electronic device to the belt or other article of clothing of a user. More particularly, the present invention relates to a belt clip which is releasably securable to an electronic device for ease of attachment and removal therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of various mechanisms for attaching electronic devices to an article of clothing of a user has been known for decades. Some of the first widely used mechanisms for attaching electronic devices to a user were loops of fabric integrated into a fabric case used to support and protect small personal cassette players manufactured by Sony, Toshiba and others. Such belt clip devices were commonly comprised of a relatively wide loop of fabric sewn to the case.
Because it is often desirable to access the front of the electronic device, it is often not preferred to encase the device in a fabric sleeve. Thus, various devices have been developed to provide a belt clip while not interfering with the functionality of the device.
The following references provide samples of the most common ways that belt clips are assembled and attached to various electronic devices. U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,337 to Rankin, Jr. et al. comprises a spring loaded belt clip assembly for attachment to a cellular phone. The belt clip of Rankin, Jr. et al., however, is comprised of several separate components that increase the cost of the device and require assembly of the components. Furthermore, the belt clip is held in place merely by the force of a single coil spring and is not lockable onto the electronic device. As such, the belt clip could be accidentally disengaged from the electronic device allowing the electronic device to drop to the ground.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,019 to Jeong is comprised of multiple components including pins and springs that require a specifically configured slots and components to be integrated into the case of the electronic device.
The detachable belt clip assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,153 to Guzik et al. simply snaps over the exterior of an electronic device but requires the use of a screwdriver for removal which may damage the external surface of finish of the electronic device. Furthermore, the belt clip portion is not configured to wrap around the belt of a user and may therefore become easily separated from the user.
As illustrated by the foregoing examples, prior art belt clips are typically comprised of multiple components requiring at least some assembly by the manufacturer. Moreover, many of the prior art devices require significant alteration, modification, or adaptation of the case of the electronic device to accept the prior art belt clip assemblies. Furthermore, some of the prior art belt clip assemblies require various components to be permanently attached to the electronic device in order for the belt clip to even be attachable thereto. Finally, many of the known belt clip assemblies in the art are relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a belt clip assembly that is comprised of a minimal number of components, can be adapted to attach to most all electronic devices, is easy to manufactured as all components can be injection molded, does not require any preassembly of components, is easy to remove from the electronic device without damaging the electronic device and provides a secure attachment of the belt clip to the electronic device and the belt clip to the user.
The belt clip of the present is preferably configured for attaching an electronic or other device to an article of clothing of a user. In addition, the belt clip is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and is comprised of a minimal number of components.
The belt clip of the present invention is also preferably configured to be attached to an electronic or other device in a manner that is easy for the user to attach and remove from the device.
The belt clip of the present invention is also preferably configured to be gentle on the device to which it is to be attached such that it will not damage the surface when the belt clip is attached or removed.
The belt clip of the present invention is further preferably configured so as to not require the addition of features or parts to the device to which the belt clip is to be attached and thus does not increase the cost of the device to which the belt clip of the present invention can be attached.
The belt clip of the present invention is also preferably configured to provide a belt clip that does not hide or detract from the industrial design of the device to which the belt clip of the present invention is attached. Specifically, the belt clip of the present invention is preferably configured so as to not substantially cover the front or any substantial portion of the front of the device to which it is attached.
The belt clip of the present invention also preferably creates a strong attachment force between the belt clip and the device when secured thereto.
Accordingly, a camming belt clip in accordance with the principles of the present invention is preferably comprised of a back plate portion and a clip portion that are rotatably engage relative to one another in a manner that rotation of the clip portion actuates the back plate portion in a clamping manner to grip the exterior of another device, such as a portable electronic device for playing music. The back plate or clamping member preferably includes integrally formed first and second wing portions interconnected by an arch-shaped portion or member that biases the wing portions relative to one another. The arch-shaped portion defines a circular aperture between the wing portions having a diameter sufficient to minimize lateral stress in and subsequent fracturing of the arch-shaped portion as the arch-shaped portion is flexed.
In a preferred embodiment, each of the wing portions includes grasping or gripping flanges integrally formed therewith for engaging with external features of an electronic device and securely holding the electronic device relative to the back plate.
A pair of cam members are preferably provided for actuating the first and second wing portions relative to one another. As such, one cam member is attached to the first wing portion and the other cam member is attached to the other wing portion and are in such a proximity so as to be receivable within a cam hole provided in the clip portion.
The clip portion preferably defines a cam hole for receiving the cam members and is rotatable relative to the said first and second cam members, said belt clip member being rotatable relative to the back plate between a first open position and a second closed position, whereby rotation of the clip member from the first open position to the second closed position forces the first cam member toward the second cam member thus forcing the first wing portion toward the second wing portion to allow the grasping flanges to move into engagement with the electronic device.
The grasping flanges are preferably spaced from a back side of the back plate and inwardly extend from proximate the outer edges of the wing portions so as to partially wrap around an electronic device and engage with exterior features provided in the sides of such an electronic device. As such, it is preferable that the grasping flanges substantially match the exterior contour of the electronic device to which the flanges are to be attached.
In order to provide relatively uniform top and bottom surfaces of the back plate, that is to keep the top and bottom surfaces of the first and second wing portions in substantially the same plane, the wing portions are each preferably provided with overlapping recesses to allow a portion of the first wing to overlap with a corresponding yet opposite portion of the second wing when the first and second wing portions are brought together in accordance with the principles of the present invention. This overlap of the wings provides structural stability to the back plate as well as a preferred design from an aesthetic perspective since the top surface of the back plate will appear uniform, that is, in the same plane.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a laterally extending post extends from the first wing portion for engaging with a top surface of the second wing portion. The post and overlapping recesses prevent relative movement of the first and second wing portions in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by their top surfaces.
In yet another preferred embodiment, the belt clip of the present invention includes a cantilevered locking member which is integrally formed with one of the wing members. The locking member is provided with a raised locking portion for engaging with a corresponding recess in the clip member when the clip member is in the closed position. The raised locking portion is preferably integrally formed with the cantilevered locking member which is flexible relative to the wing portion for selective disengagement of the raised locking portion from the clip member when the cantilevered locking member is sufficiently flexed.
In still another preferred embodiment of the belt clip in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the cam members include cam stops for abutting against cam stop abutments provided in the clip portion. The cam stops prevent over rotation of the clip portion relative to the back plate in either direction. Thus, the cam stop members and said cam stop abutments allow the clip portion to rotate approximately ninety degrees relative to said cam members between the open position and the closed position. Preferably, the clip portion is provided with first and second open position cam stop abutments for abutting against the cam stops and preventing over rotation of the clip portion in a first direction and first and second closed position cam stop abutments for abutting against the cam stops and preventing over rotation of the clip portion in a second direction.
When the clip portion is in the closed position, the grasping flanges are preferably closer together and move apart as the clip portion is rotated about the cam members to the open position. This movement of grasping flanges is accomplished by the biasing of the arch-shaped portion which forces the cam members against the cam hole.
The clip portion preferably comprises an integrally formed cam portion defining the cam hole and including the cam abutment surfaces and a belt loop portion for securing the device of the present invention to a user.
The advantages of a belt clip in accordance with the present invention will become more apparent from a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments.